The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-02-10

easy to defend a 100000 mortgage
against England, Germany or France, as
sos ,OOO 600 harbor, and easier, ana the
original outlay would not be SO great But
the United States will never have to de-
fend the Islands against any European
Power, if it wants them itself. 1t should,
however, make up its mind on that point
now Should it decide to allow England
TO lend Kalakaua the money he needs and
take first mortgage, SO to speak, England
might take it into its head to fix up little
harbor OF It's own at the Islands, and then
there would be complications. The tact
probably is, however, that the promoters
of the $25 900, 900 scheme do not care what
the ultimate and national consequences
may be. In a $25, OCa ,000 appropriation
there is u margin of at least 81 100000 for
stealing, and that is all they care about.
They hope to excite the land-hunger OF the
nation, and thereby gain the opportunity
they desire.
THE SAN FRANCISCO call
Replies to the "Chronicle." 1t says: "A
contemporary which permits its personal
likes anu CllSIlhcS 10 COIlIIOl lbo t'N'''iA VII
public questions has undertaken to con-
vince the public that the Pearl River har-
Dor is not worth while acquiring. Having
failed to convince the United States Senate
that the Hawaiian treaty should be abro-
gated it now tries to make 1t appear that
the cession of the island of Oahu Is part
of "A dcep-laid scheme to induce the United
States to expend few of its surplus mill
ions in improving the Pearl River harbor-
The description the Call gave recently OF
the Pearl RiveG harbor was detailed by an
officer OF the United States navy who has
spent considerable time on the island.
Lieutenant Thomas i. Stewart. We as
sumo that the description Is substantially
correct 1t does not require much fore
sight TO comprehend that such a harbor III
the possession of an enemy would be a
constant menace to this coast. While we
do not expect TO be involved in a war with
Il great naval power, the possibility OF such
Il calamity must be kept in mind. The
Government of the United States has seen
fit to declare that Cuba should not pass
into the hands of any other European
power than Spain, which now controls it
II Is not tndJ Ine nllGt states NttItIS y Obt
but that in the hands of a great naval
power it would be a constant menace tC
the United States. The same policy in
cludes the Hawaiian Islands. The asser
ton on the part of our somewhat narrow
minded contemporary, that the independ-
! ence of the Islands Is guaranteed by 9
treaty to which England, France and the
United States are the parties, is literally
! true But we have all seen treaties disre
! garded in the presence of imminent dan
ger or a pressing necessity. The Reel
| procity Treaty with the Hawaiian Islands
| imparts certain vitality to the treaty Sc
| curing the independence OF the Islands
! 1t establishes closer commercial and sOCia
! relations between this coast and thu
Islands than would exist in the absence OF
such treaty. The impetus the treaty gives
! to business in the Islands tends tC
! strengthen American influences both IL
| commercial and Government circles. The
fact that California enjoys the principa
| advantage of increased trade with the
Islands is certainly no reason why a paper
! published in San Francisco should oppose
| the treaty"